Grain blower



March 22, 1932. (3Y N GF'QEDELL 1,850,545

GRAIN BLOWER Filed Aug. 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l anni! a v 6 4 a IN VENT 0R Uffa /1/. fedy/ TTORNEY March 22, 1932.

O. N. GREDELL GRAIN BLOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 INVENTOR Z BMM AToRNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1932 rr.is;rvr ernten f -OT-TO N.- GREDELL, 0E" KANSAS CITY', IIIISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD STEEL WORKS,

OF NORTH KANSAS` CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI GRAIN BLOWER 4Aplzolcation filed August 8, 1929. Serial No. 384,293.

lily invention relates to grain blowers and has for its principal object to minimize the damaging effect on grain kernels dueto nni pact thereof with blower blades and fan housings and to increase the grain propelling efficiency of a blower.

In grain blowers as ordinarily constructed the blades strike incoming grain kernels with relatively great force due both to the inertia of the kernels and the velocity of the blades, thus not only tending to crack the kernels but to knock the kernelsy against the Wallis ofthe fan housing and into angular directions with reference to the movement of air currents in.- duced by the blades.A

Further and particular objects of my invention therefore are to enable the fan blades to overcome the inertia of the grain kernels gradually, to enable the bladesV to directly "confer motion on. the kernels substantially in the direction in Which the air currents are moving Without striking the kernels.y vand to increase the proportion of kernel' movement vconferred by the blast created by the blower.

A further particular objV ect of the invention is te form fanblades, a fan housing, an inletY and operating' membersA in such a Way as to minimize opportunity for perpendicular nnvpact of blower members against grain kernels.

ln accomplishing these and other objects of my invention, I have provided' improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein F ig. 1 is a perspective view of a blower embodying my invention, the cover being removed to disclose the interior structure. a grain conduit connected with the blower be- 1 .ing sho-Wn fragmentarily.

F ig. 2 is a perspective View ofthe rear surface of a fan blade member'.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the front or in en face of the fau blade member. la" 3.V

the blower illustrating the feed chute in' dottedv lines. i

F ig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View of theV members shown in F ig. 6.

F ig. S is a section on the line 8 8, Fig. 5.

vReferring in detail to the drawings: i

1 and- 2 designate parallel spaced Walls having arcuate edges connected through a greater portion of their extent by a rear and bottom Wall 3 and adapted, as later described, to form a housing having a rectangular outlet portion 4l connected with a conduit 5 through which grain` is to be elevated.

One port-ion of the arcuate periphery of the housing is open and covered by a plate 6 having a hook-like upper edge 7 adapted to engage a projectingtlange 8 on a casting 9 positioned on the rectangular mouth of ,A the housing and having channels or recesses extending at opposite endsto receive the lower edges of the outlet conduit 5. n

The housing is supported by spaced` angle members 10' and 10 having vertical flanges Welded to the side Walls 1 and 2. A channel member 11 spanning the space between the angles adjacent the opening of the housing is provided with an angularly extending leafa 12 to receive the slightly o-utben-t end 13 ofV the'wall 3, whereby the lower end of the cover 6 may be moved over the edges of the Walls 1 and 2 into engagement with the lower 'wall portion 13.

A notched' latching angle 14 Welded tothe p cover is adapted to be attached by a thumb screw 15 anchored in the channel member 11 for securing the cover in functioning posif tion. n Y

The outer Wall 1 of the housing isv provided ivith a relatively large axial inlet open# ing 16 and the opposite or inner WallQ is apertured at 1'? sufficient-ly to receive the end 18 of an overhanging bearing member sei cured to the housing as presently described, for supporting a fan-operating shaft 19;v

One end of the shaft 19 projects beyond 'i the bearing inl the housing to a point adjacent the vplane of the `housing Wall 1 Vand a fan member 2O is mounted on this projecting end of the shaft, being keyed thereto aV spline`21 and locked by a screvv22.

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being spaced suitably from the shaft to ad# mitthe bearing portion 18 substantially to the center line of the housing. Y l

The fan member further includes an outer annulus or disk-like plate 27 having an aperture substantially the same size as the aperture in the housing wall 1, the plates 26 and 27 being connected by blade members illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 having ears such as 2 8 and 29 provided with openings to receive fastening devices for securing the blades to the plates, thus serving to support the apertured plate 27 from the hub-supported plate 26. j

YThe blades are corrugated longitudinally to form a plurality of radially extending pockets 30 and forwardly extending relatively thin edges 31. Each blade may comprise a single casting or sheet of material indented to provide the Vrib-like formation Yhaving preferably tapering walls diver-ging from the ed' es 31 of the ribs which form the common a vance edges of adjacent pockets. The outer ends of the pockets are preferably open asillustrated at 32 in Fig. 3, and the bottoms of the pockets may be formed on transverse curves as indicated in Fig.4 to avoid a sharpangle at the bottom of a pocket.

The length of a blade corresponds with the width of the annuli 26 and 27 comprising the walls of the fan so that the inner vedge of the blade is spaced substantially from the shaftand hub to permit grain delivered to the housing to move freely toward the wallV 26 of the fan. Said inner edge of the blade is also provided with pocket elements formed with ridges 33 extending in the same vertical planes asthe ridges of the radial pocket portions but substantially at right angles thereto, and tapering walls forming grooves or channels and comprising an assembly of open ended pockets projecting rearwardly from the ocket forming portions of the blade prev1ously described. rPhe diverging walls forming the two sets ofy pockets in each blade are substantially continuous from one set to the other and are extended'forwardly to form projecting wings 34 and points 35. l LWires 36 having endskr connected toy form .vent vthe points 35 from directly contacting and delivering blows to grain kernels.

- A s out member 37 is mounted in the opening'ro the wall 1 with an inclined floor portion 38 extending inwardly of the housing and beyond ythe apertured plate 27 of the fan for delivering grain into the space between the plates 26 and 27. A supply or feed chute 39 is adapted to be located with its lower` end or mouth on said spout floor.

The spout member is provided with side wings 40 extending vertically adjacent the edges of the opening including offset portions41 forming shoulders or ledges 42 which space the chute member from the' offset wing portions 41. Channels are thus formed on each side of the chute for conducting air into the housing adjacent the lower edge of the chute. F langes 43 on the edge of the spout member may be attached to the housing wall 1 and a rod 44 may be employed for securing the end of the chute to the spout member. Y

A Z-shaped bar 46is welded to the angle 10 to receive a bolt 47 for stabilizing the spout member. i

Theoverhangmg bearing above referred to includes an outer portion 48 similar to the inner portion 18, lateral wings'or flanges 49 y mounting the cover in snug engagement with the edges of thehousing walls.

The casting 9 above referred to further includes side lateral flanges 57 on each side for supporting angles 58 fixed to the walls of the l conduit and adapted tolsecure the conduit against Vthe inner flanges of the casting.

In order to prevent kernels moving from the fan from striking the housing wall 3 in sucha manner as to cause damage to the kernels, I provide a corrugated surface for the wall, preferably by installing in the housing a guide plate59 having an arcuate lower end and longitudinal indentations forming a plurality of tapering grooves lor channels V6()-` similar to the'pockets of the fan blades.

The lower edge of the plate engage the wall 3 adjacent the area in which'the rear portion of the wall diverges from the circle on which the bottom portion is formed, and is tapered to merge into said wall. The plate is positioned substantially vertically and the indentations vthus extend substantially 'parallel to the axis of the outlet. The channels 60 taper from the lower unindented edge of the plate to the upper'edge thereof so that their depth increases upwardly.

The ribaike indented portions fare parte forming the bottoms of the channels' lie against theV rear portion of the wall 3, while the ribs or ridges 61 dividing thechannels diverge upwardly from said rear portion.

' The plate is preferably provided w'th channels corresponding to pockets in the faces of the blades, and the ridges 6l of the plate are preferably in the planes of the edges 31 of the blade pockets, whereby kernels moving from the pockets toward the rear portion of the wall 8 will tend to enter the grooves and vslide over the taper walls thereof in their passage toward the conduit 5.

Flanges ,62 on the vertical edges of the plate are preferably back bent outwardly from the centerline ofthe plate and engaged in the angle between lthe side walls l and 2 and the wall 3 to stabilize the plate and to effect location of the channels in receiving relation with the bla-de pockets.

In operating a blower constructed as described the grain is deliverecL in a stream into the housingbetween the parallel walls of the fan. Since .the fan will be revolving at a relatively high velocity, grain kernels falling from the stream may be encountered by one or another portion of a fan blade.

Kernels that fall upon the elongated upper edge pockets of a blade will strike the same with relatively slight force due only to gravity and frictionally engaging the tapering walls and :bottom of the pockets, will tend to be carried forward and thus will lbe given an initial movement in the vdirection of the currents of air induced by the blower.

Kernels falling between the circumferentially spaced blad-es may be slidingly engaged between taper walls of the pocket members and their inertia will thus belgradually overcome and the blades will be prevented from delivering a blow :to the kernels.

The first kernels that enter the Apockets by sliding over the taper walls thereof may be temporarily retained and deposited in the bottoms of the pockets and form cushions to receive kernels later encountered by the blades due to the relatively small area of the bottoms of the pockets and the fact that these Vbottoms are curved. Relatively few kernels will receive a direct blow from any portion of a blade and the opportunity for delivering such a direct blow is reduced by the fact that the bottoms of the pockets may be covered by kernels that have slid over the taper walls of thepockets to form cushions therein.

The continued revolution of the fan blades to which kernels have been delivered as described will eifect centrifugal delivery of supported kernels toward the con-duit.

Jattention is further called to the wires mounted on the inner ribs or edges of the tangential pocket members, which guard the points vof the pocket portions and receive kernels in a sliding manner to prevent the points from deliver-ing direct blows to ker-- nels which they may encounter.

Many of the kernels delivered by the blades and air `currents ytoward theconduit might.

-= strike the wall 3 with relatively great force,

and the impact wouldtend to break the kernels. The guide plate V59 however, provides slanting surfaces to receive the kernels. Whereas the indented blades encounter the kernels slidingly and avoid delivering direct blows thereto to divert their course, the moving kernels encounter the indented plate and are gradually diverted upwardly toward the conduit.

vWhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. 'In a device of the character described, a fan blade member comprising a plurality of pocket-forming portions having curved bottoms terminating in 'outwardly tapering walls having thin advance edges between said pocket forming portions projecting forwardly in the direction of rotation of the blade.

2. In a device of the character described, a fan blade member comprising a plurality of portions forming pockets having taper walls, and adjacent walls having common edges projecting forwardly in the direction of rotation of the blade.

3. In a device of the character described, a fan blade member comprising a plurality of portions forming .pockets having taper walls, adjacent walls having a common edge projecting forwardly in the direction of rotation of the blade, and inner ends projecting forwardly from said pockets.

l. In a device of the character described, aA fan including a. plurality of blades each including a portion having walls inclined angularly to the direction of movement of the blade, the. inner end edges of the walls being spaced from the axis of the fan, and a guard member attached to vsaid inner end edges of the walls. l

5. ln a device of the character described, a fan including a plurality of blades, each including a plurality of pocket-forming walls having advance edges moving inthe direction of movement of the blade and inner edges spaced from the airis of the fan, and guard members including a. wire bent to circular form and mounted on the inner edgesof said walls.

6. In a grain blower, a housing having a closed side wall and a grain inlet in the opposite side wall, a bearing mounted in .the closed wall, a shaft supported by the bearing and projecting in the housing toward the inlet, and a fan fixed to the shaft and comprising a closed side wall and an open side wall adjacent the housing inlet, and blades fixed to the fan walls, each having longitudinally extending indentations forming pockets with tapering sides.

7. ln a grain blower, va housing having a closed side wall and a grain inlet in the opposite side wall., a chute mounted at the inlet and adapted to deliver grain below the axis of the housing,a bearing mounted in the closed wall, a shaft supported by thel bearin and project-ing in the housing to-y ward t e inlet, and a fan kfixed to the shaft and comprising ay closed side wall, an open side VWall adjacent, the housing inlet, and blades fixed tothe fan walls having longitudinal indentationsV forming parallel pockets with tapering sides.

8. In a device of the character described including a housing having a closed side wall and an inlet in the opposite side wall, a chute mounted at the inlet and adapted t0 deliver material below the axis of the housing, a bearing mounted in the closed wall, and a shaft supported by the bearing and projectingin the yhousing toward the inlet, a fan fixed to the shaft and comprising a closed side wall, an open side wall adjacent the housing inlet, and blades lixed to the fan walls having longitudinal tapering indentations. A 1

9. In a device of the character' described including a housing having a closed/side wall and an inlet in the opposite side wall, and a shaft projecting inthe housing toward thev inlet, a fan iixed to the shaft andy comprising a closed side wall, an open side wall adjacent the housing inlet, and blades iixedto the fany walls each comprising a lplate having indentations forming pockets having tapering sides, said plates having forwardly extending inner end portions and arcuate inner edges spaced fromY the axis of the fan. v

10. In a grain blower, a housing having a closed side wall and a grain inlet in the opposite side wall, a bearing mounted in the closedA wall, a shaft supported by the bearing and projecting in the housing toward the inlet, and a fan iixed tothe shaft and comprising a closed side wal'l and an open side wall .adjacent the housing inlet, and blades fixed to the fan walls each comprisingY a'plate having longitudinal indentations formino' `)arallel )ockets havinf'n ta erin sides, and plates having forwardly extending inner endportlons and arcuate Vupper edges.

including a pocket presented in the direction Yof movement of the blade, and a pocket presented toward theraxis of the shaft.

13. In a device of the character described including a housing and a shaft, a fan in- 11. In a grain blower including a housing iixed to the fan blades, said fan bladeseach including a plurality of pocket-formin por- Y common edges extending 1n.V the rotation of the fan, and rings pocketv portions tions having direction of mounted on corresponding of the several fan members.

14. In a device of theqcharacter described i including a housing and a shaft, a fan including an inner wall parallel with the housing and fixed to the sha-ft, fan blades fixedto said wall, an outer apertured wall fixed to the fan blades, said fan blades each including aV plurality of pocket-forming portions having common advance edges extending in the a fan housing having an outlet and including',

a rear wall leading to the outlet provided with an indentation arranged substantially parallel to the axis of' the outlet.

16. In 'a grain-blower including a housv` ing having an |outlet, and a'f-fan yin the housing, a guide plate in the housing in receiving relation with the fan having indentations` forming kguide channels for grainmoved by the fan toward said outlet.

17. In a grain blower, a Yhousing Vhaving an outlet, a fan in the housing including a blade having ak pocket,.and al guidenplate in the housing leading to said outlet and provided with afchannel arranged substantiallyk perpendicularly to the axis of the 'fan and in receiving relation with said pocket.`

18. In a grainv blower including a housing having sidewalls and an arcuate rear wall leading to an upwardly directed outlet, and a fan in the housing, ar guide plate having edge flanges engaging the side walls of the housingiand upwardly deepening indentations forming ribs, said ribs being engaged with the rear wall of the housing.

19. In a device of the character described, a fan including a blade having pocket-forming walls having arcuate inner end edges ar-y ranged circumferentially to the axis of the fan and in spaced relation therewith.

20. In aV grain blower or the like, a fan including a side plate and a blade havinga side edge secured to Vsaid plate and including pocket forming walls having arcuate inner end edges arranged circumferentially to and in spaced relation with the axis of the fan.

21. In a device of the character described,y

a fan including a blade having walls forming apocket and having inner'end edges spaced from the axisof the fan, and guard means lincluding aY member mounted on said blade and extending from said end edgesin the direction of movement ofthe fan.

22. In a grain blower including a fan having a blade provided with walls on the front face of said blade having advance edges and inner end edges meeting in points, arcuate guards mounted on said end edges extending forwardly from said points with respect to the direction of movement of the fan.

23. In a device of the character described, a fan housing having an outlet and including a wall leading to said outlet having channels increasing' in depth toward said outlet.

24. In a grain blower, a fan blade provided with a plurality of parallel radially extending pockets having outwardly and forwardly tapering side walls, the side walls of adjacent pockets forming triangle shaped advance edges for diverting grain into said pockets.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

OTTO N. GREDELL. 

